Friday, March 23, 2012

Well, it’s that time of year again! It’s time to open up the windows (cleaning them first of course) let the house air out and start getting rid of dust and clutter! I’ve been organizing and cleaning out closets like crazy! I’ve gone through clothes and all sorts of things I’ve been storing that I thought I would use again. And I’m doing the same thing with my soap making supplies and equipment...Although those things are a little harder to part with.

Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Don’t forget to reorganize your soaping and crafting room! If you participate in groups or lists, this is the perfect time to have a “garage sale” or participate in “swaps”. It’s also a good time to go through your supplies and get rid of those things that might be outdated.

This is also the perfect time to reassess what you are doing. Is this is a hobby or is now the time to step into something bigger? I always use this time to make my wish lists of items and equipment that I want and need to make soaping more efficient. Of course I’m a just hobbyist and a product tester, but I look at what I have and what I need to make it all a more enjoyable experience.

Maybe it’s time you do the same. Do you need to purchase a spare scale or thermometer? Maybe you need more drying trays so that your soap can cure more efficiently. What about a soap edger to add that special touch to gifts… Maybe now is the time to invest in that larger cutter since you’re now making several loaves at once. Do you just have too many little pieces of equipment and it would be more efficient to step up to a larger system all together? SoapEquipment.com can help you in all those areas. We would be more than happy to help you take your business or hobby to the next level.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Here are some great questions and answers for troubleshooting cold process soap.

Q. What if Tracing does not occur?A. The mixture may have not been stirred enough. Most likely it is because your lye/water mixture was off in relation to your oils. Check your formula for accuracy. If it is one you have used before successfully, recheck all measurements. If it is not one you have not used before, check all of your SAP values and recalculate your formula.

Q. What are the causes for soap being hard and brittle?A. If it is an all vegetable soap then you may have too much lye and you should not use it. If it is an all animal fat soap, tallow, etc. the soap will be very hard and will be somewhat brittle.

Q. My soap is marbled with white streaks. What causes this?

A. Mostly likely caused when using a fragrance with lots of alcohol in it. Uneven stirring or not enough can cause streaking due to the oils and lye/water mixture not fully incorporating for a complete saponification.

Q. My soap looks like cottage cheese and has small lumps in it. What did I do wrong?A. I hate to tell you but you should throw this soap out. This is called “Curdling” and can be caused by inaccurate measurements, incorrect formula, cooling too quickly or the ingredients were not completely mixed together.

Q. I have DOS (Dreaded Orange Spots). What causes this?

A. Usually, this results from heavy super fatting. The DOS is an indication that some of your oils are oxidizing. It can also be caused by humid conditions. Anytime you super fat, you risk this, especially if your soap it exposed to excessive heat and humidity. A super fat value over 6% creates a high risk of DOS. Other reasons; not calculating SAP values correctly along with super fatting, changing bases oils without recalculating SAP values.

Q. My soap looks like scrambled eggs and not very pretty ones at that! What happened?

A. It has seized. Mixing your base oils and lye at too high a temperature can cause this. Also, some essential oils and fragrances can cause soap to seize. Be careful with cinnamon, clove and myrrh. Fragrance oils with too much alcohol will do this. Your soap can be saved if you act quickly by pouring it into your mold. This is why it is always advisable to have your mold ready when you make soap.

Q. I have a white powdery substance or film on the top of my soap. What is it?

A. This is called soap ash. It is harmless and can be cut off or washed off. One way to avoid it is to cover your mold as soon as you have poured your soap. If you are using tray molds or small molds, this is hard to avoid. Best thing to do is cover and insulate well.

The solution to these issues......Try Our SoapMaker Software to help solve many of the problems associated with soapmaking.

Friday, March 16, 2012

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.

Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Savor the coffee, not the cups! The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

What is one of the best ways to learn how to do something? By watching someone else do it! If you are interested in seeing cold process soap made or how to use a larger system to increase your volume then this page is for you.

Most of our videos were shot using amateurs. We wanted to show you how even a person who knows nothing about soap making can easily use our equipment.